5 S – A Sustainable plan for THE Important Plan to regularly slow down, be still and stop to study and connect

Of mice and men… Does God laughs at our plans and if so should we make them? Ps 2:4 is oft misquoted thanks to a Yiddish proverb and a Woody Allen quote It actually says “The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.” Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.” How should we plan? What should we plan? Plan to enjoy now “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” ― Woody Allen http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Yiddish_proverbs

Jasmin Nichole McDougall 31 December 1996 - 28 December 2014

Luke 10:38-42 38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

5S Lean 5S Sort Set in order Shine Standardise Sustain 2015/God 5S Slow down - Exodus 14:14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Stop - Job 37:14-15 “Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders. Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash? Still – Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Study - 2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Selah - Psalm 4:4 (GNV) 4 Tremble and sin not: examine your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah Lean 5S Sort Set in order Shine Standardise Sustain

Facts Half way through a decade There are still 86400 secs in a day, 1440 mins in a day, 24 hrs in a day 365 ¼ days in a year – one could be forgiven for thinking nothing changes How many of you have planned something for 2015/Made New Years resolutions?

Psalms 39:4-6,11 “LORD, make me to know my end and what is the measure of my days that I may know how frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You; certainly, EVERY MAN AT HIS BEST STATE IS BUT VAPOR. Surely, every man walks about like a shadow; surely, they busy themselves in vain; surely, he or she heaps up riches and does not know who will gather them … surely, every man is vapour.

Psalms 90:2-17 (excerpts) “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God … for a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night. You carry the children of men away like a flood. They are like a sleep. In the morning, they are like grass which grows up. In the morning, our life flourishes and grows up. In the evening, it is cut down and withers … for all our days have passed away … we finish our years like a sigh. The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength, they are eighty years, yet our boast is only labour and sorrow; for OUR LIFE IS SOON CUT OFF, AND WE FLY AWAY … so teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom … oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days! Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us, the years in which we have seen evil. Let Your work appear to Your servants and Your glory to their children. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.”

Psalms 102:1-4,11-12,24-28 “Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come to You, incline Your ear to me. In the day that I call, answer me speedily. For MY DAYS ARE CONSUMED LIKE SMOKE, and my bones are burned like a hearth. My heart is stricken and withering like grass … my days are like a shadow that lengthens, and I wither away like grass. But You, O LORD, shall endure forever, and the remembrance of Your name to all generations … I said, “O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days; Your years are throughout all generations. Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure. Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will change them, and they will be changed.

Psalm 103:1-5,8-17 “Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s … the LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities For He knows our frame; HE REMEMBERS THAT WE ARE DUST. As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children.”

Planning for God Taken me this long to realise that actually God is in control. I plan &, sometimes even consult God on those plans, and now just over half way trough my 3score years and 10 I realise I have never really planned to connect and be still and make time for God – oh yes the intention is there but to plan it!?! And I teach “those who fail to plan – plan to fail” and now realise that often I have only really found and connected with God in heartache because pain has a way of causing one to stop

Rocks – Big ; Small ; Sand What is important?

What are your big rocks?

Making a sustainable plan Start small and easy – small regular routines lead to bigger/longer routines (TV is classic – just going to watch one programme and a few months later it is an every night thing and for some it is their waking routine – Eve story)

‘Routinealise’ it! – Walk & pray, clean and pray, wash and pray, stop and pray

Involve others Hold yourself to account with another Christian Share a regular faith walk/time/prayer

And how will you know unless you slow, stop, sense and listen? If God Wills… James 4:14-15  “Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.  FOR WHAT IS YOUR LIFE?  It is even a VAPOR that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”  And how will you know unless you slow, stop, sense and listen?

Jeremiah 2:25 (The Message) 25 "Slow down. Take a deep breath. What's the hurry? Why wear yourself out? Just what are you after anyway? But you say, 'I can't help it. I'm addicted to alien gods. I can't quit.'

Psalms 92:1-15 (excerpts) “A Song for the Sabbath Day: It is good to give thanks to the LORD and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your loving-kindness in the morning and Your faithfulness every night … THEY SHALL STILL BEAR FRUIT IN OLD AGE; they shall be fresh and flourishing.” Are you on the path to bear good fruit? Remember your todays give you your tomorrows!